Does a newborn need a day at the spa? Houston's Float Baby says yes

Float Baby owner Kristi Ison says that babies’ brains and bodies benefit from being the water for 20 minutes. (Courtesy Float Baby)

New moms apparently aren't the only ones who need a spa day.

Float Baby, a new Houston baby spa, offers water floatation and infant massage, with rates that are comparable to a grown-up rubdown in New York City: $65 for a one-hour session.

Advertisement

At Float Baby, little ones float in a tiny pool of purified (not chlorinated) water for 20 to 25 minutes. They stay above water by wearing an inner tube around the neck. Swim diapers are provided, as are warm towels. Moms are an arm's reach away.

After some time in the pool, mothers are guided through a 25-minute infant message session, which Float Baby's website says "enhances neurological development" and "helps babies sleep better and more soundly." The site also says it benefits the baby's breathing and growth, and helps with lactation and post-partum depression in moms.

Kristi Ison, a certified instructor of infant massage, runs the spa. She told the Daily News that the goal of the program is not to destress a tiny tyke, but "to develop the physical, mental and emotional wellbeing of the baby."

She cited studies claiming that exposing infants to water makes them stronger, more coordinated, smarter and more self-disciplined.

As to why the babies wear inner tubes around their necks and not just arm floaties, Ison said, "The benefit of allowing the baby to have free range of all of their limbs is what supports the early neurological development of the baby."

After the babies go for a dip, their moms give them a massage. (Courtesy Float Baby)

Dr. Christine Stern, a pediatrician with Pediatric Associates in New York, says that while "mommy and me" classes - in swimming, yoga or another discipline - are good for socialization and connecting with your little one, "I don't necessarily think (babies) need to be in a floating spa," she said.

She added that infant massage can be "a great way to bond with the baby," but that the practice can be done anywhere, not just at a spa.

Stern also expressed concern about the infants' inner tubes being around their necks. "It's not something I would usually recommend," she said.

The doctor said she would hesitate before recommending Float Baby because "this is a new type of class," she said. "I would err more toward the side of more 'mommy and me' classes."

Whether or not the pediatrician recommends it, Ison said that her wee clients love the spa.

"The ones who come regularly - once a week - come smiling, they see their float device, they're happy when we put it on, they see their friends," she said. "It's a program that I see them really enjoying each time they're there."